Gold Leaf Q4 Criteria

Everything you need to know to receive Gold Leaf recognition for Fourth Quarter of 2005

The Gold Leaf Seal is designed to recognize outstanding loan officers. The award is presented to loan officers who have successfully closed loans in their product segment while providing exceptional service to LendingTree customers.

The Gold Leaf Seal boosts credibility with potential borrowers and is a valuable sales tool to promote your commitment to service. Below are the guidelines to become certified during the fourth quarter of 2005:

• Less than three (3) escalated consumer issues that can be directly related to the loan officer during the analysis quarter.
• Must be approved by lender management to receive the Gold Leaf Seal.
• Must work for a lender that maintained an overall customer service rating of 3.75 throughout the quarter.
• Meet the following closed unit minimums for the quarter:
  • Purchase Prime: 6 units
  • Purchase Sub prime: 3 units
  • Refinance Prime: 7 units
  • Refinance Sub prime: 4 units
  • HE Prime: 10 units
  • HE Sub prime: 6 units

Set your goals to be in our next round of Gold Leaf recognition! Please visit lendingtreetraining.com for more details about the Gold Leaf program.

Renovation Innovation!

lendingtreetraining.com gets a makeover

You will see big changes when you visit lendingtreetraining.com. Our front line and technology teams have been working hard to come up with a more helpful and user friendly site designed just for loan officers that work with LendingTree.

Along with the new user friendly navigation and an easier to read design, our home page will feature sales tips, monthly polls, and our "Face of Success". A place for top performing loan officers to share what has made them successful. There is also a monthly survey question that gives you the chance to tell LendingTree what can make your business more successful.

Our first featured loan officer is Sherman Parsa of NationPoint. Congratulations Sherman, and thank you for sharing your guiding principles for success!

Get the Call Back! - Successful Voice Messages

Most of you spend hours every week leaving messages. Here are simple steps to get your message heard and your phone ringing.

Speak clearly and slowly - Sounds simple but we've all gotten messages that sound like the fast food drive through. Make it easy for your customer to get the info they need the first time they listen.

Use a positive and polite tone of voice - Would you want to work with Eeyore to get your mortgage? On the other hand, sounding like Tigger might scare the wits out of them. Keep your tone simple and upbeat.

Keep it under 30 seconds - Don't tempt them to hit delete before they get to your phone number. Create a script that gets them the most important information in a short amount of time while maintaining a slow and easy pace.

Be sure to include:

• Your name
• Your company
• Reference their LendingTree form
• Give one compelling reason to return the call
• Repeat your name
• State your phone number twice

Do use positive and interesting phrases - "Call me to review your options" or 'I want to make sure we have offered you the lowest rate." Don't use mortgage jargon they don't understand - "I have a question about your LTV, DTI, or FICO."

Listen to yourself - Once you have your script, call and leave your message on your own voice mail. Be objective as you listen...is that someone your mother, best friend, or 4th grade teacher would call back?

Every call back gets you that much closer to closing another deal. Is taking time to develop a good voice message important? You do the math.

Closing Incentive Update

Find a REALTOR®
You can now offer incentives to customers in Kentucky!

Exciting news for lenders who do business in Kentucky! This state will now allow incentives for a real estate closing when using the Find A REALTOR® program.

Don't forget - you can offer the cash back incentive to customers who want to buy or sell property.

Close the sale! Know your customer's potential incentive.

The Incentive Calculator, located in the left navigation of your Find A REALTOR® web page, will help you quickly determine the incentive amount your customer is eligible for when opting them in.

REALTOR^® -- A registered collective membership mark that identifies a real estate professional who is a member of the National Association of REALTORS^® and subscribes to its strict Code of Ethics.

Congratulations to
Natalie Bayda of
AccessAmerica Mortgage!

Natalie is the first winner of our Featured Webinar Giveaway and will receive a $50 gift certificate to the LendingTree Company Store. Don't miss your chance to win! Simply register for the featured webinar of the month, complete a short email survey after the training, and we'll enter your name into our quarterly drawing.

This month's featured webinar is
"Cracking the Purchase Code"

The purchase market is booming and will only continue to grow. "Cracking the Purchase Code" takes the fear out of purchase leads. LendingTree experts will take you through tips and best practices on how to close more purchase leads, helping put more money in your pocket!

For a complete list of available webinars or to register, visit www.lendingtreetraining.com

Join us in Atlanta!

November 16, 2005 - 9AM to 5PM
The Westin Peachtree Plaza

If you live in the Southeast, LendingTree University Live is coming your way!

LTU Live is a one-day professional development seminar designed just for LendingTree loan officers. Topics include:

• The LendingTree Consumer Experience - This insightful overview of the LendingTree consumer process will help you better serve your LendingTree leads, improve your customer's satisfaction and close more loans.
• Best Practices Café - Learn what works and what doesn't in the industry as you participate in roundtable discussions with other successful loan officers. Always a favorite!
• "Motivational Selling" - This session is led by Ed Tate of Enlightened Leadership. Ed's customized session will provide actionable advice and suggestions on how to sell effectively and stay motivated.

LTU Live is only $245 per loan officer or $200 for a Gold Leaf Seal recipient. Don't forget about our "Buy 3, Get 1 FREE" special!

For more information or to register, visit www.lendingtreetraining.com

Sales Tip of the Month!

As reprinted from Brian Tracy's Time Management Success Newsletter

"What are the most important tasks you have to complete to make the greatest contribution to your organization? To your family? To your life in general?

Think It Through Carefully - This is one of the most important questions you can ask and answer. What are your highest value activities? First, think this through for yourself. Then, ask your boss. Ask your coworkers and subordinates. Ask your friends and family. Like focusing the lens of a camera, you must be crystal clear about your highest value activities before you begin work."

Tip of the Month

Check out View/Print QF

It gives you the ability to select one or more leads, see the details of the QF and print them all. Each QF will be printed separately. Notes associated with a QF will also be included. This functionality is available when printing from the QF management page, work queue, and pipeline report.